Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-07-13

and do IL yourself, ADVISED MARY
Ann. "I'm lookin' for rain next
day; fridays the fairest or the foul
est day in the week, you know the old
sayin' is, and we've had it 80 fine all
the week that / expect g. change by
Pm a goln' ter risk the weather."
J ohm said. Pity if We can't find good
weather enough to cut that little |
piece OF wheat. 'Twon't take no time
at all for him ter cradle It,"
Mary Ann said no more but she had |
project in her head, for her faith IN |
Ezra Spinner's coming five miles to
cradle their wheat was very faint, and
she had no mind to see 1t spoiled Tor
lack of being cut when it ought to be.
Her work was well under way the
next morning, when John, mounted
on old Sorrel, started for the east set
Element, and no sooner had they am
bled out of sight than she put on her
slat sun bonnet, and took down the
sickle from it's place in the shed.
"You must see to the rest OF the
work to-day, leonora, and take care
of the children" she said to the old
est, girl of twelve. "Pm agoin' to cut
that wheat !"
Leonora was g. def handed little
maiden, thanks to her energetic
mothers training, and was already a
great help to her mother.
It was just cool enough to make
work easy and pleasant that day,
and Mrs. Brown fell to cutting the
grain with will, working at a speed
that fairly surprised herself.
At noon Leonora was hidden to
feed the children on bread and milk,
and make her mother a "rOusing" cup
of tea, which refreshment taken, the
energetic woman betook herself to the
harvest field. The children all came
out there after q while, and when the
grain was all cut and she begean to
bind it, their nimble and mum rous
hands and feet did the work OF put.
ting the sheaves together in the places
where she told them.
AS the afternoon wore away, she
kept a sharp lookout down the road,
fearing she might see her husband
coming with old Sorrel before her self
imposed task was done. But she
knew John seldom went over into the
east settlement without finding SO
many to talk with that it was hard to
tear himself away.
At supper time she sent Leonora to
the house with the youngest children,
to feed them and put them to bed,
keeping the two Oldest boys to help
her finish. AS the dusk deepened into
darkness, she finished the last stock,
and turned her steps toward the
cabin, tired but triumphant.
1t was too dark when John reached
home, for him to see the stocks of
grain, and the children were all abed
except Leonora, who had been tu-
tored to secrecy by her mother, and
could be depended on to hold her
tongue. John was trif1e blue that
night.
"Couldn't get Ezra to do thing for
me-" he said complainingly. "He
said he'd promised to cradle more
grain now than he could do before
snow flies"
"That sounds just like Ezra's smart
talk" said Mary Ann.
ST shall have to see what [ can do
to-morrer," added John. eff I can't
get anybody to help me, s'pose
shall have ter do it myself"
Mary Ann MD sly smile behind the
cupboard door, and said nothing,
while Leonora coughed slightly.
Next morning when John awoke the
rain was pouring down and he began
to groan.
"Now hear that Who'd g. thought
OF it's raining to-day That wheat'll
Spite afore it's cut, Pm really afraid"
But when he looked out and saw the
gray STOCKS standing, well capped and
patient, in the rain, his eyes were q
sight to see. He could hardly believe
their evidence.
aye did well, little wife, ye did well.
Stocks might have been trifie big
ger, maybe, but you've got 'em
capped, that's the main thing"
The next time John Brown was at
the corner store, swapping gossip with
the loafers, he boosted complacently
of his successful wheat harvest. A
cadaverous looking man had just
been complaining that the long rain
lodged his wheat, and half-ruined it
before he could get chance to cut it.
"Sho, now," said John Brown, SYM
pathizingly. oval. | was lucky
enough to cut mine jest before the
rain come in. Finished it up, slick
and clean, stocked and capped, the
very night before. [ tell We I felt